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| 1 | SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION
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| 2 | WHEREAS, The Department of Children and Family Services | ||||||
| 3 | (DCFS) is charged with providing support to the State's | ||||||
| 4 | youngest and most vulnerable population; and
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| 5 | WHEREAS, In Illinois, there are State-supported services | ||||||
| 6 | that provide for the foster placement of youth in care or | ||||||
| 7 | reunification of families, and it is DCFS's task to prioritize | ||||||
| 8 | the needs of the child and find them the most appropriate | ||||||
| 9 | placement; and
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| 10 | WHEREAS, It is essential to provide DCFS with the necessary | ||||||
| 11 | support and resources to carry out their mission; and
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| 12 | WHEREAS, The Illinois General Assembly plays a key role in | ||||||
| 13 | supporting DCFS's mission; therefore, be it
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| 14 | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL | ||||||
| 15 | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES | ||||||
| 16 | CONCURRING HEREIN, that there is created the Department of | ||||||
| 17 | Children and Family Services Working Group; and be it further | ||||||
| 18 | RESOLVED, That the Working Group shall consists of the | ||||||
| 19 | following members, who shall serve without compensation: | ||||||
| 20 | (1)3 members recommended by the President of the | ||||||
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| 1 | Senate, one of whom shall be designated as Co-Chairperson; | ||||||
| 2 | (2)3 members recommended by the Senate Minority | ||||||
| 3 | Leader; | ||||||
| 4 | (3)3 members recommended by the Speaker of the House of | ||||||
| 5 | Representatives, one of whom shall be designated as | ||||||
| 6 | Co-Chairperson; | ||||||
| 7 | (4)3 members recommended by the Minority Leader of the | ||||||
| 8 | House of Representatives; and | ||||||
| 9 | (5) The Director of Children and Family Services and | ||||||
| 10 | the Governor of Illinois, or their designees, shall each | ||||||
| 11 | serve as an ex officio member of the Working Group; and be | ||||||
| 12 | it further | ||||||
| 13 | RESOLVED, That the Department of Children and Family | ||||||
| 14 | Services shall provide administrative support for the Working | ||||||
| 15 | Group, in cooperation with the legislative caucuses; and be it | ||||||
| 16 | further | ||||||
| 17 | RESOLVED, That the Working Group shall be tasked with | ||||||
| 18 | reviewing State regulations affecting the Department of | ||||||
| 19 | Children and Family Service in order to determine best | ||||||
| 20 | practices associated with the Department's mission; and be it | ||||||
| 21 | further | ||||||
| 22 | RESOLVED, That the Working Group may hear testimony from | ||||||
| 23 | service providers, constituent groups, families, foster | ||||||
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| 1 | families, youth in care, former youth in care, DCFS | ||||||
| 2 | administrators and employees, social worker advocates, social | ||||||
| 3 | worker educators, children's advocates, and members of the | ||||||
| 4 | Early Learning Council, among others; and be it further | ||||||
| 5 | RESOLVED, That the Working Group may compile a series of | ||||||
| 6 | recommendations to address the needs of the DCFS population; | ||||||
| 7 | and be it further
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| 8 | RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution may be | ||||||
| 9 | delivered to the Department of Children and Family Services and | ||||||
| 10 | the Office of the Governor.
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